The Portrait & Wedding Photographers of Alaska (PWPA) have banded together to put on a fundraiser, this Saturday, February 6th, at the Crosspoint Church next to Burlington Coat Factory on Dimond. All proceeds go directly to the Red Cross in an effort to help out victims of the earthquake and devastation in Haiti.

Please pass this information on to your friends, family and co-workers to let them know of this easy way to donate. In return for your efforts we will be creating quick family portraits as a thank you for your time and donation. You will receive a digital file of your image within about two to three weeks after the event.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or check out the Red Cross website at www.alaska.redcross.org.

It’s time! Our year down south is fast drawing to a close. We have one more week with my family and then the boys and I hop a plane for Idaho. We get to spend at least two weeks with Dave’s family and “the cousins” before striking out on our camping adventure up the Alcan (Alaska-Canadian Highway) back to Anchorage. We are going to be towing a pop-up camper and plan to spend a little over a week on the drive. Can’t wait!

Hank, the psycho barn kitten, will be joining us. I’m not too sure how well that will go over with all the campground dogs! It should make for some interesting evenings!

Anyway, all this travel means I may be more difficult to reach for the next month. I will still have my cellular phone and if you need to speak with me immediately that will be your best bet. If you can wait a day or two for an answer, feel free to send me an email. I will be checking it; I’m just not sure how often.

Here’s one more quick post before the movers come to pack away my computer. Again, another lovely southern wedding from last summer shot with Mark of Mark Lawley & Associates. Mark actually had the most beautiful bridal portrait gorgeously framed and displayed at the reception. It was a very traditional portrait in her family’s ornate garden. The piece was quite stunning! But then to mix things up she also did a “fearless bridal” style session out on a worksite with construction equipment and great industrial elements. Quite the dichotomy! She definately had the best of both worlds!

Here are a few favorite shots that I captured from her wedding.

I am a photographer. I love what I do. I strive to capture vibrant photographs that are classic and clean with a touch of emotion to them. I prefer an uncluttered photo and a cluttered desk. I love the finished product and agonize over the process. I am an Alaskan who recently returned from a year long stint in Alabama. I have the good fortune of photographing people in the last frontier. I would love to photograph your experience.

First time here?

Start with the galleries under the “Portfolio” tab. It’s a faster way to get to know my style and browse specific categories. For more recent weddings and sessions select the “Weddings” or “Portraits” tabs from the absolute top of the screen located in the black bar. You can readily access pricing and package information as well by choosing the “Sessions & Packages” tab. Not sure what a gallery wrap canvas, image box or portrait book is? Check out the “Portrait Pricing” dropdown also under “Sessions & Packages” for more details.

Don’t forget to drop me a note or leave a comment! It makes my day. Thank you for stopping by!

Whoa Nelly!  Someone broke into my website and created all sorts of havoc!  It apparently started back in October and since then I’ve been getting random reports of friends not being able to access my site.  Finally over Christmas the “evil doers” changed my login to the blog and my sites became dead in their tracks.  Several hours and a lot of sweating later, we are finally back up and running!  

There were already some big changes on the horizon so I just took this setback, I mean opportunity, to implement a few upgrades.  The first thing you’ll notice is that things look a little different around here.  I lost all my customization in the recent hullabuloo so I had to start from scratch.  I’m pretty excited with the way things have turned out although there are a few bugs here or there that need some work.  The second big change is that my photoblog is now located at my main site:  www.melissashelby.com.  If you are trying to find the galleries, you can easily click on the menu link on the blog or go directly to their new site at www.melissashelby.com/gallery.

Hope you find the new layout easier to use!  Happy New Year!

My husband Dave has been in Afghanistan recently and upon his return he will be attending a military university down south.  Because of this we’ve had the opportunity to spend a year visiting the grandparents in Alabama. The boys and I are currently enjoying the unbelievable heat and the great times spent with family.  After a year of sweltering temperatures, however, I am sure we will be glad to return to our friends and the wilds of Alaska.  Our planned return is for July 2009.  Until then, I will not be able to photograph any weddings, portraits, or events but I look forward to jumping back into things full swing next summer!  

During our stay, I have my plate full with incredible photography seminars and workshops throughout the southeast United States.  In addition, I’ve been fortunate enough to assist a Birmingham based photography studio with several weddings that will continue on through the summer.   Mark Lawley & Associates Wedding Photography have provided this incredible opportunity for me.  If you are in the southeast and are planning a wedding check out their website at www.marklawleyphotography.com. 

More posts will be coming soon as I slowly work my way through my transition from Windows to Mac.  Ay!

So I’ve finally joined the 21st century and started a blog! I am sure that I won’t be great at keeping it up to date but I’m aching to give it a try! Let’s see how I do…